第三十四回

第三十四回 情中情因情感妹妹 错里错以错劝哥哥

话说袭人见贾母王夫人等去后，便走来宝玉身边坐下，含泪问他：“怎么就打到这步田地？”宝玉叹气说道：“不过为那些事，问他做什么！只是下半截疼的很，你瞧瞧打坏了那里。”袭人听说，便轻轻的伸手进去，将中衣褪下。宝玉略动一动，便咬着牙叫“嗳哟”，袭人连忙停住手，如此三四次才褪了下来。

袭人看时，只见腿上半段青紫，都有四指宽的僵痕高了起来。袭人咬着牙说道：“我的娘，怎么下这般的狠手！你但凡听我一句话，也不得到这步地位。幸而没动筋骨，倘或打出个残疾来，可叫人怎么样呢！”

正说着，只听丫鬟们说：“宝姑娘来了。”袭人听见，知道穿不及中衣，便拿了一床袷纱被[1]替宝玉盖了。只见宝钗手里托着一丸药走进来，向袭人说道：“晚上把这药用酒研开，替他敷上，把那淤血的热毒散开，可以就好了。”说毕，递与袭人，又问道：“这会子可好些？”宝玉一面道谢，说：“好些了。”又让坐。

宝钗见他睁开眼说话，不像先时，心中也宽慰了好些，便点头叹道：“早听人一句话，也不至今日。别说老太太、太太心疼，就是我们看着，心里也疼。”刚说了半句又忙咽住，自悔说的话急了，不觉的就红了脸，低下头来。宝玉听得这话如此亲切稠密，竟大有深意，忽见他又咽住不往下说，红了脸，低下头只管弄衣带，那一种娇羞怯怯，非可形容得出者，不觉心中大畅，将疼痛早丢在九霄云外，心中自思：“我不过捱了几下打，他们一个个就有这些怜惜悲感之态露出，令人可玩可观，可怜可敬。假若我一时竟遭殃横死，他们还不知是何等悲感呢！既是他们这样，我便一时死了，得他们如此，一生事业纵然尽付东流，亦无足叹惜，冥冥之中若不怡然自得，亦可谓糊涂鬼祟矣。”想着，只听宝钗问袭人道：“怎么好好的动了气，就打起来了？”袭人便把焙茗的话说了出来。

宝玉原来还不知道贾环的话，见袭人说出方才知道。因又拉上薛蟠，惟恐宝钗沉心[2]，忙又止住袭人道：“薛大哥哥从来不这样的，你们不可混猜度。”宝钗听说，便知道是怕他多心，用话相拦袭人，因心中暗暗想道：“打的这个形象，疼还顾不过来，还是这样细心，怕得罪了人，可见在我们身上也算是用心了。你既这样用心，何不在外头大事上做工夫，老爷也欢喜了，也不能吃这样亏。但你固然怕我沉心，所以拦袭人的话，难道我就不知我的哥哥素日恣心纵欲，毫无防范的那种心性。当日为一个秦钟，还闹的天翻地覆，自然如今比先又更利害了。”想毕，因笑道：“你们也不必怨这个，怨那个。据我想，到底宝兄弟素日不正，肯和那些人来往，老爷才生气。就是我哥哥说话不防头，一时说出宝兄弟来，也不是有心调唆：一则也是本来的实话，二则他原不理论这些防嫌小事。袭姑娘从小儿只见宝兄弟这么样细心的人，你何尝见过天不怕地不怕、心里有什么口里就说什么的人。”

袭人因说出薛蟠来，见宝玉拦他的话，早已明白自己说造次了，恐宝钗没意思，听〔一〕宝钗如此说，更觉羞愧无言。宝玉又听宝钗这番话，一半是堂皇正大，一半是去己疑心，更觉比先畅快了。方欲说话时，只见宝钗起身说道：“明儿再来看你，你好生养着罢。方才我拿了药来交给袭人，晚上敷上管保就好了。”说着便走出门去。袭人赶着送出院外，说：“姑娘倒费心了。改日宝二爷好了，亲自来谢。”宝钗回头笑道：“有什么谢处。你只劝他好生静养，别胡思乱想的就好了。要想什么吃的、玩的，你悄悄的往我那里取去〔二〕，不必惊动老太太、太太众人。倘或吹到老爷耳朵里，虽然彼时不怎么样，将来对景，终是要吃亏的。”说着，一回身去了。

袭人抽身回来，心内着实感激宝钗。进来见宝玉沉思默默似睡非睡的模样，因而退出房外，自去栉沐[5]。宝玉默默的躺在床上，无奈臀上作痛，如针挑刀挖一般，更又热如火炙，略展转时，禁不住“嗳哟”之声。那时天色将晚，因见袭人去了，却有两三个丫鬟伺候，此时并无呼唤之事，因说道：“你们且去梳洗，等我叫时再来。”众人听了，也都退出。

这里宝玉昏昏默默，只见蒋玉菡走了进来，诉说忠顺府拿他之事；又见金钏儿进来哭说为他投井之情。宝玉半梦半醒，都不在意。忽又觉有人推他，恍恍忽忽听得有人悲泣之声。宝玉从梦中惊醒，睁眼一看，不是别人，却是林黛玉。

宝玉犹恐是梦，忙又将身子欠起来，向脸上细细一认，只见两个眼睛肿的桃儿一般，满面泪光，不是黛玉，却是那个？宝玉还欲看时，怎奈下半截疼痛难忍，支持不住，便“嗳哟”一声，仍就倒下，叹了一声，说道：“你又做什么跑来！虽说太阳落下去，那地上的馀热未散，走两趟又要受了暑。我虽然捱了打，并不觉疼痛。我这个样儿，只装出来哄他们，好在外头布散与老爷听，其实是假的。你不可认真。”此时林黛玉虽不是嚎啕大哭，然越是这等无声之泣，气噎喉堵，更觉得利害。听了宝玉这番话，心中虽然有万句言词，只是不能说得，半日，方抽抽噎噎的说道：“你从此可都改了罢！”宝玉听说，便长叹一声，道：“你放心，别说这样话。就便为这些人死了，也是情愿的！”

一句话未了，只见院外人说：“二奶奶来了。”林黛玉便知是凤姐来了，连忙立起身说道：“我从后院子去罢，回头再来。”宝玉一把拉住道：“这可奇了，好好的怎么怕起他来。”林黛玉急的跺脚，悄悄的说道：“你瞧瞧我的眼睛，又该他取笑开心呢。”宝玉听说赶忙的放手。黛玉三步两步转过床后，出后院而去。凤姐从前头已进来了，问宝玉：“可好些了？想什么吃，叫人往我那里取去。”接着，薛姨妈又来了。一时贾母又打发了人来。

至掌灯时分，宝玉只喝了两口汤，便昏昏沉沉的睡去。接着，周瑞媳妇、吴新登〔三〕媳妇、郑好时媳妇，这几个有年纪常往来的，听见宝玉捱了打，也都进来。袭人忙迎出来，悄悄的笑道：“婶婶们来迟了一步，二爷才睡着了。”说着，一面带他们到那边房里坐了，倒茶与他们吃。那几个媳妇子都悄悄的坐了一回，向袭人说：“等二爷醒了，你替我们说罢。”

袭人答应了，送他们出去。刚要回来，只见王夫人使个婆子来，口称“太太叫一个跟二爷的人呢”。袭人见说，想了一想，便回身悄悄告诉晴雯、麝月、檀云、秋纹等说：“太太叫人，你们好生在房里，我去了就来。”说毕，同那婆子一径出了园子，来至上房。

王夫人正坐在凉榻上摇着芭蕉扇子，见他来了，说：“不管叫个谁来也罢了。你又丢下他来了，谁服侍他呢？”袭人见说，连忙陪笑回道：“二爷才睡安稳了，那四五个丫头如今也好了，会服侍二爷了，太太请放心。恐怕太太有什么话吩咐，打发他们来，一时听不明白，倒耽误了。”王夫人道：“也没甚话，白问问他这会子疼的怎么样。”袭人道：“宝姑娘送去的药，我给二爷敷上了，比先好些了。先疼的躺不稳，这会子都睡沉了，可见好些了。”

王夫人又问：“吃了什么没有？”袭人道：“老太太给的一碗汤，喝了两口，只嚷干渴，要吃酸梅汤。我想着酸梅是个收敛的东西，才刚捱了打，又不许叫喊，自然急的那热毒热血未免不存在心里，倘或吃下这个去激在心里，再弄出大病来，可怎么样呢。因此我劝了半天才没吃，只拿那糖腌的玫瑰卤子和了吃，吃了半碗，又嫌吃絮了，不香甜。”王夫人道：“嗳哟，你该早来和我说。前儿有人送了两瓶子香露来，原要给他点子的，我怕他胡糟踏了，就没给。既是他嫌那些玫瑰膏子絮烦，把这个拿两瓶子去。一碗水里只用挑一茶匙儿，就香的了不得呢。”说着就唤彩云来，“把前儿的那几瓶香露拿了来。”袭人道：“只拿两瓶来罢，多了也白糟踏。等不够再要，再来取也是一样。”

彩云听说，去了半日，果然拿了两瓶来，付与袭人。袭人看时，只见两个玻璃小瓶，却有三寸大小，上面螺丝银盖，鹅黄笺上写着“木樨清露”，那一个写着“玫瑰清露”。袭人笑道：“好金贵东西！这么个小瓶儿，能有多少？”王夫人道：“那是进上的，你没看见鹅黄笺子？你好生替他收着，别糟踏了。”

袭人答应着，方要走时，王夫人又叫：“站着，我想起一句话来问你。”袭人忙又回来。王夫人见房内无人，便问道：“我恍惚听见宝玉今儿捱打，是环儿在老爷跟前说了什么话。你可听见这个了？你要听见，告诉我听听，我也不吵出来教人知道是你说的。”袭人道：“我倒没听见这话，只听说〔四〕为二爷霸占着戏子，人家来和老爷要，为这个打的。”王夫人摇头说道：“也为这个，还有别的原故。”袭人道：“别的原故实在不知道了。我今儿在太太跟前大胆说句不知好歹的话。论理……”说了半截忙又咽住。王夫人道：“你只管说。”袭人笑道：“太太别生气，我就说了。”王夫人道：“我有什么生气的，你只管说来。”

袭人道：“论理，我们二爷也须得老爷教训两顿。若老爷再不管，将来不知做出什么事来呢。”王夫人一闻此言，便合掌念声“阿弥陀佛”，由不得赶着袭人叫了一声“我的儿，亏了你也明白，这话和我的心一样。我何曾不知道管儿子，先时你珠大爷在，我是怎么样管他，难道我如今倒不知管儿子了？只是有个原故：如今我想，我已经快五十岁的人，通共剩了他一个，他又长的单弱，况且老太太宝贝似的，若管紧了他，倘或再有个好歹，或是老太太气坏了，那时上下不安，岂不倒坏了，所以就纵坏了他。我常常掰着口儿劝一阵，说一阵，气的骂一阵，哭一阵，彼时他好，过后儿还是不相干，端的吃了亏才罢了。若打坏了，将来我靠谁呢！”说着，由不得滚下泪来。

袭人见王夫人这般悲感，自己也不觉伤了心，陪着落泪。又道：“二爷是太太养的，岂不心疼。便是我们做下人的服侍一场，大家落个平安，也算是造化了。要这样起来，连平安都不能了。那一日那一时我不劝二爷，只是再劝不醒。偏生那些人又肯亲近他，也怨不得他这样，总是我们劝的倒不好了。今儿太太提起这话来，我还记挂着一件事，每要来回太太，讨太太个主意。只是我怕太太疑心，不但我的话白说了，且连葬身之地都没了。”王夫人听了这话内有因，忙问道：“我的儿，你有话只管说。近来我因听见众人背前背后都夸你，我只说你不过是在宝玉身上留心，或是诸人跟前和气，这些小意思好，所以将你和老姨娘一体行事。谁知你方才和我说的话全是大道理，正和我的想头一样。你有什么只管说什么，只别教别人知道就是了。”

袭人道：“我也没什么别的说。我只想着讨太太一个示下，怎么变个法儿，以后竟还教二爷搬出园外来住就好了。”王夫人听了，吃一大惊，忙拉了袭人的手问道：“宝玉难道和谁作怪了不成？”袭人连忙回道：“太太别多心，并没有这话。这不过是我的小见识。如今二爷也大了，里头姑娘们也大了，况且林姑娘宝姑娘又是两姨姑表姊妹，虽说是姊妹们，到底是男女之分，日夜一处起坐不方便，由不得叫人悬心，便是外人看着也不像。一家子的事，俗语说的‘没事常思有事’，世上多少无头脑的事，多半因为无心中做出，有心人看见，当作有心事，反说坏了。只是预先不防着，断然不好。二爷素日性格，太太是知道的。他又偏好在我们队里闹，倘或不防，前后错了一点半点，不论真假，人多口杂，那起小人的嘴有什么避讳，心顺了，说的比菩萨还好，心不顺，就贬的连畜牲不如。二爷将来倘或有人说好，不过大家直过没事；若要叫人说出一个不好字来，我们不用说，粉身碎骨，罪有万重，都是平常小事，但后来二爷一生的声名品行岂不完了，二则太太也难见老爷。俗语又说‘君子防不然’[8]，不如这会子防避的为是。太太事情多，一时固然想不到。我们想不到则可，既想到了，若不回明太太，罪越重了。近来我为这事日夜悬心，又不好说与人，惟有灯知道罢了。”

王夫人听了这话，如雷轰电掣的一般，正触了金钏儿之事，心内越发感爱袭人不尽，忙笑道：“我的儿，你竟有这个心胸，想的这样周全！我何曾又不想到这里，只是这几次有事就忘了。你今儿这一番话提醒了我。难为你成全我娘儿两个声名体面，真真我竟不知道你这样好。罢了，你且去罢，我自有道理。只是还有一句话：你今既说了这样的话，我就把他交给你了，好歹留心，保全了他，就是保全了我。我自然不辜负你。”

袭人连连答应着去了。回来正值宝玉睡醒，袭人回明香露之事。宝玉喜不自禁，即令调来尝试，果然香妙非常。因心下记挂着黛玉，满心里要打发人去，只是怕袭人，便设一法，先使袭人往宝钗那里去借书。

袭人去了，宝玉便命晴雯来吩咐道：“你到林姑娘那里看看他做什么呢。他要问我，只说我好了。”晴雯道：“白眉赤眼[9]，做什么去呢？到底说句话儿，也像一件事。”宝玉道：“没有什么可说的。”晴雯道：“若不然，或是送件东西，或是取件东西，不然我去了怎么搭讪呢？”宝玉想了一想，便伸手拿了两条手帕子撂与晴雯，笑道：“也罢，就说我叫你送这个给他去了。”晴雯道：“这又奇了。他要这半新不旧的两条手帕子？他又要恼了，说你打趣他。”宝玉笑道：“你放心，他自然知道。”

晴雯听了，只得拿了帕子往潇湘馆来。只见春纤正在栏杆上晾手帕子，见他进来，忙摆手儿，说：“睡下了。”晴雯走进来，满屋魆黑。并未点灯。黛玉已睡在床上。问是谁。晴雯忙答道：“晴雯。”黛玉道：“做什么？”晴雯道：“二爷送手帕子来给姑娘。”黛玉听了，心中发闷：“做什么送手帕子来给我？”因问：“这帕子是谁送他的？必是上好的，叫他留着送别人罢，我这会子不用这个。”晴雯笑道：“不是新的，就是家常旧的。”林黛玉听见，越发闷住，着实细心搜求，思忖一时，方大悟过来，连忙说：“放下，去罢。”晴雯听了，只得放下，抽身回去，一路盘算，不解何意。

这里林黛玉体贴出手帕子的意思来，不觉神魂驰荡：宝玉这番苦心，能领会我这番苦意，又令我可喜；我这番苦意，不知将来如何，又令我可悲；忽然好好的送两块旧帕子来，若不是领我深意，单看了这帕子，又令我可笑；再想令人私相传递与我，又可惧；我自己每每好哭，想来也无味，又令我可愧。如此左思右想，一时五内沸然炙起。黛玉由不得馀意绵缠，令掌灯，也想不起嫌疑避讳等事，便向案上研墨蘸笔，便向那两块旧帕上走笔写道：

眼空蓄泪泪空垂，暗洒闲抛却为谁？

尺幅鲛绡劳解赠，叫人焉得不伤悲！

　其二

抛珠滚玉只偷潸，镇日无心镇日闲；

枕上袖边难拂拭，任他点点与斑斑。

　其三

彩线难收面上珠，湘江旧迹[10]已模糊；

窗前亦有千竿竹，不识香痕渍也无？

林黛玉还要往下写时，觉得浑身火热，面上作烧，走至镜台揭起锦袱一照，只见腮上通红，自羡压倒桃花，却不知病由此萌。一时方上床睡去，犹拿着那帕子思索，不在话下。

却说袭人来见宝钗，谁知宝钗不在园内，往他母亲那里去了，袭人便空手回来。等至二更，宝钗方回来。原来宝钗素知薛蟠情性，心中已有一半疑是薛蟠调唆了人来告宝玉的，谁知又听袭人说出来，越发信了。究竟袭人是听焙茗说的，那焙茗也是私心窥度，并未据实〔五〕，竟认准是他说的。那薛蟠都因素日有这个名声，其实这一次却不是他干的，被人生生的一口咬死是他，有口难分。

这日正从外头吃了酒回来，见过母亲，只见宝钗在这里，说了几句闲话，因问：“听见宝兄弟吃了亏，是为什么？”薛姨妈正为这个不自在，见他问时，便咬着牙道：“不知好歹的东西，都是你闹的，你还有脸来问！”薛蟠见说，便怔了，忙问道：“我何尝闹什么？”薛姨妈道：“你还装憨呢！人人都知道是你说的，还赖呢。”薛蟠道：“人人说我杀了人，也就信了罢？”薛姨妈道：“连你妹妹都知道是你说的，难道他也赖你不成？”宝钗忙劝道：“妈和哥哥且别叫喊，消消停停的，就有个青红皂白了。”因向薛蟠道：“是你说的也罢，不是你说的也罢，事情也过去了，不必较证，倒把小事儿弄大了。我只劝你从此以后在外头少去胡闹，少管别人的事。天天一处大家胡逛，你是个不防头的人，过后儿没事就罢了，倘或有事，不是你干的，人人都也疑惑是你干的，不用说别人，我就先疑惑。”

薛蟠本是个心直口快的人，一生见不得这样藏头露尾的事，又见宝钗劝他不要逛去，他母亲又说他犯舌，宝玉之打是他治的，早已急的乱跳，赌身发誓的分辩。又骂众人：“谁这样赃派我？我把那囚攮的牙敲了才罢！分明是为打了宝玉，没的献勤儿，拿我来作幌子。难道宝玉是天王？他父亲打他一顿，一家子定要闹几天。那一回为他不好，姨爹打了他两下子，过后老太太不知怎么知道了，说是珍大哥哥治的，好好的叫了去骂了一顿。今儿越发拉上我了！既拉上，我也不怕，越性进去把宝玉打死了，我替他偿了命，大家干净。”一面嚷，一面抓起一根门闩来就跑。慌的薛姨妈一把抓住，骂道：“作死的孽障，你打谁去？你先打我来！”

薛蟠急的眼似铜铃一般，嚷道：“何苦来！又不叫我去，又好好的赖我。将来宝玉活一日，我担一日的口舌，不如大家死了清净。”宝钗忙也上前劝道：“你忍耐些儿罢。妈急的这个样儿，你不说来劝妈，你还反闹的这样。别说是妈，便是旁人来劝你，也为你好，倒把你的性子劝上来了。”薛蟠道：“这会子又说这话。都是你说的！”宝钗道：“你只怨我说，再不怨你顾前不顾后的形景。”薛蟠道：“你只会怨我顾前不顾后，你怎么不怨宝玉外头招风惹草的那个样子！别说多的，只拿前儿琪官的事比给你们听：那琪官，我们见过十来次的，我并未和他说一句亲热话；怎么前儿他见了，连姓名还不知道，就把汗巾子给他了？难道这也是我说的不成？”薛姨妈和宝钗急的说道：“还提这个！可不是为这个打他呢。可见是你说的了。”薛蟠道：“真真的气死人了！赖我说的我不恼，我只为一个宝玉闹的这样天翻地覆的。”宝钗道：“谁闹了？你先持刀动杖的闹起来，倒说别人闹。”

薛蟠见宝钗说的话句句有理，难以驳正，比母亲的话反难回答，因此便要设法拿话堵回他去，就无人敢拦自己的话了；也因正在气头上，未曾想话之轻重，便说道：“好妹妹，你不用和我闹，我早知道你的心了。从先妈和我说，你这金要拣有玉的才可正配，你留了心，见宝玉有那劳什骨子，你自然如今行动护着他。”话未说了，把个宝钗气怔了，拉着薛姨妈哭道：“妈妈你听，哥哥说的是什么话！”薛蟠见妹妹哭了，便知自己冒撞了，便赌气走到自己房里安歇不提。

这里薛姨妈气的乱战，一面又劝宝钗道：“你素日知那孽障说话没道理，明儿我叫他给你陪不是。”宝钗满心委屈气忿，待要怎样，又怕他母亲不安，少不得含泪别了母亲，各自[12]回来，到房里整哭了一夜。

次日早起来，也无心梳洗，胡乱整理整理，便出来瞧母亲。可巧遇见林黛玉独立在花阴之下，问他那里去。薛宝钗因说“家去”，口里说着，便只管走。黛玉见他无精打采的去了，又见眼上有哭泣之状，大非往日可比，便在后面笑道：“姐姐也自保重些儿。就是哭出两缸眼泪来，也医不好棒疮！”不知宝钗如何答对，且听下回分解。

[1] 袷（jiá夹）纱被——表里两层的纱被。袷，同“夹”。

[2] 沉心——多指言者无意而听者有心，陡生不快。也叫“吃心”或“嗔心”。

〔一〕 “宝玉拦他”到“听”二十三字，原无，各本均有，文字小异，此从己卯、甲辰本补。

〔二〕 “要想什么吃的、玩的，你悄悄的往我那里取去”，底本无，据俄藏本补。

[5] 栉（zhì志）沐——梳洗。

〔三〕 “吴新登”，原作“吴龙登”，从梦稿、甲辰本改。

〔四〕 “只听说”，底本原无，旁添“听说”二字。据俄藏本补。

[8] 君子防不然——亦作“君子防患于未然”。意谓君子防备祸患于未发生之时。见宋代郭茂倩编《乐府诗集·君子行》：“君子防未然，不处嫌疑间。瓜田不纳履，李下不正冠。”

[9] 白眉赤眼——平白无故的意思。

[10] 湘江旧迹——代指泪痕。用湘妃哭舜，泪染斑竹的典故。见《博物志》。

〔五〕 “并未据实”，原作“一半据实”。己卯本同。梦稿、蒙府、戚序本作“并未据实，大家都是一半猜度，一半据实”。此从舒序本改。

[12] 各自——独自，自个儿。

CHAPTER 34. A wordless message meets with silent understanding And a groundless imputation leads to undeserved rebukes

WHEN she saw that Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang and the rest had all gone, Aroma went and sat down at Bao-yu’s bedside and asked him, with tears in her eyes, the reason why he had been beaten so severely.

Bao-yu sighed.

‘Oh, the usual thing. Need you ask? I wish you’d take a look down below, though, and tell me if anything’s broken. It’s hurting so dreadfully down there.’

Very gently Aroma inserted her fingers into the top of his trousers and began to draw them off. She had barely started when he gritted his teeth and let out a cry, and she had to stop immediately. This happened three or four times before she finally succeeded in getting them off. The sight revealed made her grit her own teeth.

‘Mother of mine!’ she gasped, ‘he must have hit you savagely. If only you’d listened to me a bit in the past, it would never have come to this. Why, you might have been crippled for life. It doesn’t bear thinking of.’

Just then Bao-chai’s arrival was announced by one of the maids. Since putting his trousers on again was out of the question, Aroma snatched up a lightweight coverlet and hurriedly threw it over him. Bao-chai came in carrying a large tablet of some sort of solid medicine which she instructed Aroma to pound up in wine and apply to Bao-yu’s injuries in the evening.

‘This is a decongestant,’ she said, handing it to her. ‘It will take away the inflammation by dispersing the bad blood in his bruises. After that, he should heal quite quickly.’

She turned to Bao-yu.

‘Are you feeling any better now?’

Bao-yu thanked her. Yes, he said, he was feeling a little better, and invited her to sit down beside him. Bao-chai was relieved to see him with his eyes open and talking again. She shook her head sadly.

‘If you had listened to what one said, this would never have happened. Everyone is so upset now. It isn’t only Grandmother and Lady Wang, you know. Even –’

She checked herself abruptly, regretting that she had allowed her feelings to run away with her, and lowered her head, blushing. Bao-yu had sensed hidden depths of feeling in the passionate earnestness of her tone, and when she suddenly faltered and turned red, there was something so touching about the pretty air of confusion with which she dropped her head and played with the ends of her girdle, that his spirits soared and his pain was momentarily forgotten.

‘What have I undergone but a few whacks of the bamboo?’ he thought, ‘– yet already they are so sad and concerned about me! What dear, adorable, sweet, noble girls they are! Heaven knows how they would grieve for me if I were actually to die! It would be almost worth dying, just to find out. The loss of a life’s ambitions would be a small price to pay, and I should be a peevish, ungrateful ghost if I did not feel proud and happy when such darling creatures were grieving for me.’

He was roused from this reverie by the sound of Bao-chai’s voice asking Aroma what it was that had moved his father to such violent anger against him. Aroma’s low reply, in which she merely repeated what Tealeaf had told her, was his first inkling of the part that Jia Huan had played in his misfortune. Her mention of Xue Pan’s involvement, however, made him apprehensive that Bao-chai might feel embarrassed, and he hastily interrupted Aroma to prevent her from saying more.

‘Old Xue would never do a thing like that,’ he said. ‘It’s silly to make these wild assertions.’

Bao-chai knew that it was out of respect for her feelings that he was silencing Aroma, and she wondered at his considerateness.

‘What delicacy of feeling!’ she thought, ‘– after so terrible a beating and in spite of all the pain, to be still able to worry about the possibility of someone else’s being offended! If only you could apply some of that thoughtfulness to the more important things of life, my friend, you would make my Uncle so happy; and then perhaps these awful things would never happen. And when all’s said and done, this sensibility on my behalf is rather wasted. Do you really think I know my own brother so little that I am unaware of his unruly nature? Nothing has ever been allowed to stand in the way of Pan’s desires. Look at the terrible trouble he made for you that time over Qin Zhong. That was a long time ago, and I am sure he has got much worse since then.’

Those were her thoughts, but what she said was:

‘There’s really no need to look around for someone to blame. If you ask me, the mere fact that Cousin Bao has been willing to keep such company was in itself quite enough to make Uncle angry. And though my brother can be very tactless and may well have let something out about Cousin Bao in the course of conversation, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been deliberate trouble-making on his part. In the first place, it is, after all, true, what he is supposed to have said: Cousin Bao has been going around with that actor. And in the second place, my brother simply hasn’t got it in him to be discreet. You have lived all your life with sensitive, considerate people like Cousin Bao, my dear Aroma. You have never had to deal with a crude, forthright person like my brother – someone who says whatever comes into his head with complete disregard for the consequences.’

When Bao-yu cut short her remarks about Xue Pan, Aroma had realized at once that she was being tactless and inwardly prayed that Bao-chai had not taken exception to them. To her, therefore, these words of Bao-chai’s were a source of tongue-tied embarrassment. Bao-yu, on the other hand, could see in them only the refusal of a frank and generous nature to admit deviousness in others and a sensibility capable of matching and responding to his own. As a consequence his spirits soared yet higher. He was about to say something, but Bao-chai rose to her feet and anticipated him.

‘I’ll come and see you again tomorrow. You must rest now and give yourself a chance to get well. I’ve given Aroma something to make a lotion with. Get her to put it on for you in the evening. I can guarantee that it will hasten your recovery.’

She was moving towards the door as she said this. When she was outside, Aroma hurried after her to see her off and to thank her for her trouble.

‘As soon as he’s better,’ she said, ‘Master Bao will come over and thank you himself, Miss.’

‘It’s nothing at all,’ said Bao-chai, turning back to her with a smile. ‘Do tell him to rest properly, though, and not to brood. And if there’s anything at all he wants, just quietly come round to my place for it. Don’t go bothering Lady Jia or Lady Wang or any of the others, in case my uncle gets to hear of it. It probably wouldn’t matter at the time, but it might do later on, next time there is any trouble.’

With that she left, and Aroma turned back into the courtyard, her heart full of gratitude for Bao-chai’s kindness. Reentering Bao-yu’s room, she found him lying back quietly, plunged in thought. From the look of it, he was already half asleep. Tiptoeing out again, she went off to wash her hair.

But it was difficult for Bao-yu to lie quietly for very long. The pain in his buttocks was like the stabbing and pricking of knives and needles and there was a burning sensation in them as if he were being grilled over a fire, so that the slightest movement made him cry out. Already it was growing late. Aroma appeared to have gone away, but two or three maids were still in attendance. As there was nothing that they could do for him, he told them that they might go off and prepare themselves for the night, provided that they remained within call. The maids accordingly withdrew, leaving him on his own.

He had dozed off. The shadowy form of Jiang Yu-han had come in to tell him of his capture by the Prince of Zhong-shun’s men, followed, shortly after, by Golden, who gave him a tearful account of how she had drowned herself. In his half-dreaming, half-awake state he was having the greatest difficulty in attending to what they were saying, when suddenly he felt someone pushing him and became dimly aware of a sound of weeping in his ear. He gave a start. Fully awake now, he opened his eyes. It was Lin Dai-yu. Suspecting this, too, to be a dream, he raised his head to look. A pair of eyes swollen like peaches met his own, and a face that was glistening with tears. It was Dai-yu all right, no doubt about that. He would have looked longer, but the strain of raising himself was causing such excruciating pain in his nether parts, that he fell back again with a groan. The groan was followed by a sigh.

‘Now what have you come for?’ he said. ‘The sun’s not long set and the ground must still be very hot underfoot. You could still get a heat-stroke at this time of day, and that would be a fine how-do-you-do. Actually, in spite of the beating, I don’t feel very much pain. This fuss I make is put on to fool the others. I’m hoping they’ll spread the word around outside how badly I’ve been hurt, so that Father gets to hear of it. It’s all shamming, really. You mustn’t be taken in by it.’

Dai-yu’s sobbing had by this time ceased to be audible; but somehow her strangled, silent weeping was infinitely more pathetic than the most clamorous grief. At that moment volumes would have been inadequate to contain the things she wanted to say to him; yet all she could get out, after struggling for some time with her choking sobs, was:

‘I suppose you’ll change now.’

Bao-yu gave a long sigh.

‘Don’t worry, I shan’t change. People like that are worth dying for. I wouldn’t change if he killed me.’

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when they heard someone outside in the courtyard saying:

‘Mrs Lian has come.’

Dai-yu had no wish to see Xi-feng, and rose to her feet hurriedly.

Bao-yu seized hold of her hand.

‘Now that’s funny. Why should you start being afraid of her all of a sudden?’

She stamped with impatience.

‘Look at the state my eyes are in!’ she said. ‘I don’t want them all making fun of me again.’

At that Bao-yu released her hand and she bounded round to the back of the bed, slipping into the rear courtyard just as Xi-feng was entering the room from the front.

‘A bit better now?’ said Xi-feng. ‘Is there anything you feel like eating yet? If there is, tell them to come round to my place and get it.’

As soon as Xi-feng had gone, Bao-yu was visited by Aunt Xue, and shortly after that by someone whom his grandmother had sent to see how he was getting on. At lighting-up time, after taking a few mouthfuls of soup, he settled down into a fitful sleep.

Just then a new group of visitors arrived, consisting of Zhou Rui’s wife, Wu Xin-deng’s wife, Zheng Hao-shi’s wife, and those other members of the mansion’s female staff who had had most to do with Bao-yu in the past and who, having heard of his beating, were anxious to see how he was. Aroma came out smiling on to the verandah to welcome them.

‘You’re just too late to see him, ladies,’ she told them in a low voice. ‘He’s just this minute dropped off.’

She ushered them into the outer room, invited them to be seated, and served them with tea. After sitting there very quietly for several minutes, they got up to take their leave, requesting Aroma as they did so that she would inform Bao-yu when he waked that they had been round to ask about him. Aroma promised to do so and showed them out. Just as she was about to go in again, an old woman arrived from Lady Wang’s to say that ‘Her Ladyship would like to see one of Master Bao’s people.’ After reflecting for a moment, Aroma turned to the house and called softly to Skybright, Musk and Ripple inside.

‘Her Ladyship wants to see someone, so I’m going over. Stay indoors and keep an eye on things while I’m away. I shan’t be long.’

Then she followed the old woman out of the Garden and round to Lady Wang’s apartment in the central courtyard. She found Lady Wang sitting on a cane summer-bed and fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan. She appeared not entirely pleased when she saw that it was Aroma.

‘You could have sent one of the others,’ she said. ‘There was no need for you to come and leave him unattended.’

Aroma smiled reassuringly.

‘Master Bao has just settled down for the night, Madam. If he should want anything, the others are nowadays quite capable of looking after him on their own. Your Ladyship has no need to worry. I thought I had better come myself and not send one of the others, in case Your Ladyship had something important to tell us. I was afraid that if I sent one of the others, they might not understand what you wanted.’

‘I have nothing in particular to tell you,’ said Lady Wang. ‘I merely wanted to ask about my son. How is the pain now?’

‘Much better since I put on some of the lotion that Miss Bao brought for him,’ said Aroma. ‘It was so bad before that he couldn’t lie still, but now he’s sleeping quite soundly, so you can tell it must be better than it was.’

‘Has he had anything to eat yet?’ said Lady Wang.

‘He had a few sips of some soup Her Old Ladyship sent,’ said Aroma, ‘but that’s all he would take. He kept complaining that he felt dry. He wanted me to give him plum bitters to drink, but of course that’s an astringent, and I thought to myself that as he’d just had a beating and not been allowed to cry out during it, a lot of hot blood and hot poison must have been driven inwards and still be collected round his heart, and if he were to drink some of that stuff, it might stir them up and bring on a serious illness, so I talked him out of it. After a lot of persuading, I got him to take some rose syrup instead, that I mixed up in water for him; but after only half a cup of it he said it tasted sickly and he couldn’t get it down.’

‘Oh dear, I wish you’d told me sooner,’ said Lady Wang. ‘We were sent some bottles of flavouring the other day that I could have let you have. As a matter of fact I was going to send him some of them, but then I thought that if I did they would probably only get wasted, so I didn’t. If he can’t manage the rose syrup, I can easily give you a few of them to take back with you. You need only mix a teaspoonful of essence in a cupful of water. The flavours are quite delicious.’ She called Suncloud to her. ‘Fetch me a few of those bottles of flavouring essence that were sent us the other day.’

‘Two will be enough,’ said Aroma, ‘otherwise it will only get wasted. If we run out, I can always come back for more later.’

Suncloud was gone for a considerable time. Eventually she returned with two little glass bottles, each about three inches high, which she handed to Aroma. They had screw-on silver tops and yellow labels. One of them was labelled ‘Essence of Cassia Flower’ and the other one ‘Essence of Roses’.

‘What tiny little bottles!’ said Aroma. ‘They can’t hold very much. I suppose the stuff inside them must be very precious.’

‘It was made specially for the Emperor,’ said Lady Wang. ‘That’s what the yellow labels mean. Haven’t you seen labels like that before? Mind you look after them and don’t let the stuff in them get wasted.’

Aroma promised to be careful and began to go.

‘Just a minute!’ said Lady Wang. ‘I’ve thought of some-thing else that I wanted to ask you.’

Aroma returned. Lady Wang first glanced about her to make sure that no one else was in the room, then she said:

‘I think I heard someone say that Bao-yu’s beating today was because of something that Huan had said to Sir Zheng. I suppose you don’t happen to have heard anything about that?’

‘No. I haven’t heard anything about that,’ said Aroma. ‘What I heard was that it was because Master Bao had been going around with one of Prince Somebody-or-other’s players and the Master was told about it by someone who called.’

Lady Wang nodded her head mysteriously.

‘Yes, that was one of the reasons. But there was another reason as well.’

‘I really know nothing about any other reason, Your Ladyship,’ said Aroma. She dropped her head and hesitated a moment before going on. ‘I wonder if I might be rather bold and say something very outspoken to Your Ladyship? Really and truly —’ She faltered.

‘Please go on.’

‘I will if Your Ladyship will promise not to be angry with me.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Lady Wang. ‘Just tell me what you have to say.’

‘Well, really and truly,’ said Aroma, ‘Master Bao needed punishing. If the Master didn’t keep an eye on him, there’s no knowing what he mightn’t get up to.’

‘My child,’ said Lady Wang with a warmth rarely seen in her, ‘those are exactly my own sentiments. How clever of you to have understood! Of course, I know perfectly well that Bao-yu is in need of discipline; and anyone who saw how strict I used to be with Mr Zhu would realize that I am capable of exercising it. But I have my reasons. A woman of fifty cannot expect to bear any more children and Bao-yu is now the only son I have. He is not a very strong boy; and his Grannie dotes on him. I daren’t risk being strict. I daren’t risk losing another son. I daren’t risk angering Her Old Ladyship and upsetting the whole household. I do once in a while have it out with him: but though I have argued and pleaded and wept, it doesn’t do any good. He seems all right at the time, but he’ll be just the same again a short while afterwards and I always know that I have failed to reach him. I am afraid he has to suffer before he can learn – but suppose it’s too much for him? – suppose he doesn’t get over this beating? What will become of me?’

She began to cry.

Seeing her mistress so distressed, Aroma herself was affected and began to cry too.

‘I can understand Your Ladyship being so upset,’ she said, ‘when he’s your own son. Even we servants that have been with him for a few years get worried about him. The most that we can ever hope for is to do our duty and get by without too much trouble – but even that won’t be possible if he goes on the way he has been doing. I’m always telling him to change his ways. Every day – every hour – I tell him. But it’s no use; he won’t listen. Of course, if these people will make so much fuss of him, you can hardly blame him for going round with them – though it does make our job more difficult. But now that Your Ladyship has spoken like this, it puts me in mind of something that’s been worrying me which I should like to have asked Your Ladyship’s advice about, only I was afraid you might take it amiss, and then not only should I have spoken to no purpose, but I should leave myself without even a grave to lie in …’

It was evident to Lady Wang that what she was struggling to get out was a matter of some consequence.

‘What is it you want to tell me, my child?’ she said kindly. ‘I’ve heard a lot of people praising you recently, and I confess that I assumed it must be because you took special pains in serving Bao-yu or in making yourself agreeable to other people – little things of that sort. But I see that I was wrong. These are not at all little things that you have been talking about. What you have said so far makes very good sense and entirely accords with my own opinion of the matter. So if you have anything to tell me, I should like to hear it. But I must ask you not to discuss it with anyone else.’

‘All I really wanted to ask,’ said Aroma, ‘was if Your Ladyship could advise me how later on we can somehow or other contrive to get Master Bao moved back outside the Garden.’

Lady Wang looked startled and clutched Aroma’s hand in some alarm.

‘I hope Bao-yu hasn’t been doing something dreadful with one of the girls?’

‘Oh no, Your Ladyship, please don’t suspect that!’ said Aroma hurriedly. ‘That wasn’t my meaning at all. It’s just that – if you’ll allow me to say so – Master Bao and the young ladies are beginning to grow up now, and though they are all cousins, there is the difference of sex between them, which makes it very awkward sometimes when they are all living together, especially in the case of Miss Lin and Miss Bao, who aren’t even of the same clan. One can’t help feeling uneasy. Even to outsiders it looks like a very strange sort of family. They say “where nothing happens, imagination is busiest”, and I’m sure lots of unaccountable misfortunes begin when some innocent little thing we did unthinkingly gets misconstrued in someone else’s imagination and reported as something terrible. We just have to be on our guard against that sort of thing happening – especially when Master Bao has such a peculiar character, as Your Ladyship knows, and spends all his time with girls. He only has to make the tiniest slip in an unguarded moment, and whether he really did anything or not, with so many people about – and some of them no better than they should be – there is sure to be scandal. For you know what some of these people are like, Your Ladyship. If they feel well-disposed towards you, they’ll make you out to be a saint; but if they’re not, then Heaven help you! If Master Bao lives to be spoken well of, we can count ourselves lucky; but the way things are, it only needs someone to breathe a word of scandal and – I say nothing of what will happen to us servants – it’s of no consequence if we’re all chopped up for mincemeat – but what’s more important, Master Bao’s reputation will be destroyed for life and all the care and worry Your Ladyship and Sir Zheng have had on his account will have been wasted. I know Your Ladyship is very busy and can’t be expected to think of everything, and I probably shouldn’t have thought of this myself, but once I had thought of it, it seemed to me that it would be wrong of me not to tell Your Ladyship, and it’s been preying on my mind ever since. The only reason I haven’t mentioned it before is because I was afraid Your Ladyship might be angry with me.’

What Aroma had just been saying about misconstructions and scandals so exactly fitted what had in fact happened in the case of Golden that for a moment Lady Wang was quite taken aback. But on reflection she felt nothing but love and gratitude for this humble servant-girl who had shown so much solicitude on her behalf.

‘It is very perceptive of you, my dear, to have thought it all out so carefully,’ she said. ‘I have, of course, thought about this matter myself, but other things have put it from my mind, and what you have just said has reminded me. It is most thoughtful of you. You are a very, very good girl – Well, you may go now. I think I now know what to do. There is just one thing before you go, though. Now that you have spoken to me like this, I am going to place Bao-yu entirely in your hands. Be very careful with him, won’t you? Remember that anything you do for him you will be doing also for me. You will find that I am not ungrateful.’

Aroma stood for a moment with bowed head, weighing the import of these words. Then she said:

‘I will do what Your Ladyship has asked me to the utmost of my ability.’

She left the apartment slowly and made her way back to Green Delights, pondering as she went. When she arrived, Bao-yu had just woken up, so she told him about the flavourings. He was pleased and made her mix some for him straight away. It was quite delicious. He kept thinking about Dai-yu and wanted to send someone over to see her, but he was afraid that Aroma would disapprove, so, as a means of getting her out of the way, he sent her over to Bao-chai’s place to borrow a book. As soon as she had gone, he summoned Skybright.

‘I want you to go to Miss Lin’s for me,’ he said. ‘Just see what she’s doing, and if she asks about me, tell her I’m all right.’

‘I can’t go rushing in there bald-headed without a reason,’ said Skybright. ‘You’d better give me some kind of a message, just to give me an excuse for going there.’

‘I have none to give,’ said Bao-yu.

‘Well, give me something to take, then,’ said Skybright, ‘or think of something I can ask her for. Otherwise it will look so silly.’

Bao-yu thought for a bit and then, reaching out and picking up two of his old handkerchiefs, he tossed them towards her with a smile.

‘All right. Tell her I said you were to give her these.’

‘That’s an odd sort of present!’ said Skybright. ‘What’s she going to do with a pair of your old handkerchiefs? Most likely she’ll think you’re making fun of her and get upset again.’

‘No she won’t,’ said Bao-yu. ‘She’ll understand.’

Skybright deemed it pointless to argue, so she picked up the handkerchiefs and went off to the Naiad’s House. Little Delicate, who was hanging some towels out to dry on the verandah railings, saw her enter the courtyard and attempted to wave her away.

‘She’s gone to bed.’

Skybright ignored her and went on inside. The lamps had not been lit and the room was in almost total darkness. The voice of Dai-yu, lying awake in bed, spoke to her out of the shadows.

‘Who is it?’

‘Skybright.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Master Bao has sent me with some handkerchiefs, Miss.’

Dai-yu seemed to hesitate. She found the gift puzzling and was wondering what it could mean.

‘I suppose they must be very good ones,’ she said. ‘Probably someone gave them to him. Tell him to keep them and give them to somebody else. I have no use for them just now myself.’

Skybright laughed.

‘They’re not new ones, Miss. They’re two of his old, everyday ones.’

This was even more puzzling. Dai-yu thought very hard for some moments. Then suddenly, in a flash, she understood.

‘Put them down. You may go now.’

Skybright did as she was bid and withdrew. All the way back to Green Delights she tried to make sense of what had happened, but it continued to mystify her.

Meanwhile the message that eluded Skybright had thrown Dai-yu into a turmoil of conflicting emotions.

‘I feel so happy,’ she thought, ‘that in the midst of his own affliction he has been able to grasp the cause of all my trouble.

‘And yet at the same time I am sad,’ she thought; ‘because how do I know that my trouble will end in the way I want it to?

‘Actually, I feel rather amused,’ she thought. ‘Fancy his sending a pair of old handkerchiefs like that! Suppose I hadn’t understood what he was getting at?

‘But I feel alarmed that he should be sending presents to me in secret.

‘Oh, and I feel so ashamed when I think how I am forever crying and quarrelling,’ she thought, ‘and all the time he has understood! …’

And her thoughts carried her this way and that, until the ferment of excitement within her cried out to be expressed. Careless of what the maids might think, she called for a lamp, sat herself down at her desk, ground some ink, softened her brush, and proceeded to compose the following quatrains, using the handkerchiefs themselves to write on:

1

Seeing my idle tears, you ask me why These foolish drops fall from my teeming eye: Then know, your gift, being by the merfolk made, In merman’s currency must be repaid.

2

Jewelled drops by day in secret sorrow shed Or, in the night-time, in my wakeful bed, Lest sleeve or pillow they should spot or stain, Shall on these gifts shower down their salty rain.

3

Yet silk preserves but ill the Naiad’s tears: Each salty trace of them fast disappears. Only the speckled bamboo stems that grow Outside the window still her tear-marks show.

She had only half-filled the second handkerchief and was preparing to write another quatrain, when she became aware that her whole body was burning hot all over and her cheeks were afire. Going over to the dressing-table, she removed the brocade cover from the mirror and peered into it.

‘Hmn! “Brighter than the peach-flower’s hue”,’ she murmured complacently to the flushed face that stared out at her from the glass, and, little imagining that what she had been witnessing was the first symptom of a serious illness, went back to bed, her mind full of handkerchiefs.

From Dai-yu and her handkerchiefs let us return to Aroma, who, it will be remembered, had been sent off to Bao-chai’s for a book. When she got there, she found that Bao-chai was not in the Garden, having gone round to her mother’s place outside. Not liking to return empty-handed, she waited for Bao-chai to return. It was already the beginning of the first watch when she did so.

Knowing her brother as she did, Bao-chai had already, even before hearing anything to that effect, suspected that he was in some way responsible for Bao-yu’s misfortune. What Aroma had earlier on told her had therefore been no more than confirmation of an already existing suspicion. Yet Aroma had only been echoing what Tealeaf had told her; and what Tealeaf had told her was pure guesswork without a shred of evidence to support it. Thus what started in everyone’s mind as a suspicion, repetition very soon compounded into a certainty. Yet the ironical fact was that he who by his past behaviour had so richly merited the reputation which had caused them to suspect him was totally innocent on the one occasion when everyone was most unshakeably convinced of his guilt.

The object of this misunderstanding had on this particular evening returned home having had a good deal to drink outside. He greeted his mother and then, observing that his sister, too, was sitting there, addressed a few desultory remarks to her. Suddenly he seemed to remember something.

‘I hear young Bao-yu’s been in trouble,’ he said. ‘What was it about?’

This was too much for Aunt Xue, who had been seething inwardly and now broke out in a fury.

‘Shameless villain! How can you have the face to ask such a question? You know very well it was all your doing.’

Xue Pan stared at her in astonishment.

‘What do you mean, “all my doing”? ’

‘Don’t act the injured innocent with me!’ said his mother. ‘Everyone knows it was you who told.’

‘Oh, and I suppose if everyone said I’d killed somebody, you’d believe that too!’

‘Even your sister knows it was you. I suppose you’re not going to call her a liar?’

Bao-chai hurriedly intervened.

‘Don’t shout so, both of you! If you’d be a bit more calm and collected, you might have some chance of getting at the truth.’ She turned to Xue Pan: ‘Anyway, whether it was you or wasn’t you, the damage is done now. There doesn’t seem much point in raking it over or making an issue of it. My advice to you is to keep out of mischief from now on and stop interfering in other people’s affairs. When you spend day after day fooling around outside, sooner or later something is bound to happen; and you are such a thoughtless creature, that when it does, people naturally suspect that you are the one to blame, even if you aren’t. I know I do!’

Xue Pan, for all his faults, was a forthright, outspoken sort of fellow, unused to such ostrich-like avoidance of the issue. Bao-chai’s strictures about ‘fooling around’ and his mother’s insistence that he had brought about Bao-yu’s beating by means of a deliberate indiscretion had exasperated him beyond endurance. He jumped about excitedly, protesting with the most solemn and desperate oaths that he was innocent.

‘I’d like to find the comedian who’s been making up these stories about me,’ he shouted, turning in anger upon the domestics. ‘I’ll smash his rotten face in if I do. Of course, I know what this is all about: you all want to show how concerned you are for poor, darling Bao-yu, so you’ve decided to do it at my expense. What is he, anyway? a Deva King? Every time his dad gives him a few whacks on the bum, the whole household is in a state of uproar about it for days on end. I remember that time Uncle Zheng beat him for doing something he shouldn’t have and old Lady Jia decided that Cousin Zhen was at the bottom of it. She had the poor so-and-so hauled up in front of her and there was hell to pay. Now, this time, you want to drag me into it. All right then: I don’t care. A life for a life. I’ll go in there and kill the little blighter – then you can all do what you like to me.’

In the midst of this bawling he had picked up a door-bar and was evidently going off to execute his threat; but his distraught mother clung to him and prevented him from going.

‘You stupid creature!’ she said. ‘Who do you think you’re going to hit with that? If you’re going to hit anyone, you’d better begin with me!’

Xue Pan’s exasperation had now reached such a pitch that his eyes stood out in his head like a pair of copper bells.

‘This is rich!’ he shouted. ‘You won’t let me go and finish him off, yet you won’t stop provoking me by making up all these lies. Every day that fellow stays alive means one more day of nagging and lies for me to put up with. We’d much better die, the pair of us, and make an end of it!’

‘Have a little self-control!’ said Bao-chai, joining in her mother’s efforts to restrain him. ‘Can’t you see how upset poor Mamma is? You ought to be trying to calm her, not making things worse with this uproar.’

‘Oh yes! you can say that now,’ said Xue Pan, ‘but it was you who started all this by telling her about me, wasn’t it?’

‘It’s all very well to blame me for telling Mamma,’ said Bao-chai. ‘Why don’t you blame yourself for being so careless, you great blabber-mouth?’

‘Me careless?’ said Xue Pan. ‘What about the way Bao-yu stirs up trouble for himself then? Let me just give you an example. Let me tell you what happened between him and Bijou the other day. I’d met Bijou ten times, near enough, and never had so much as a kind word out of him, yet Bao-yu, that didn’t even know him by sight, meets him for the first time the other day, and before you know where you are, he’s given him his sash! I hope you’re not going to say that that got about because of me?’

His mother and sister were indignant.

‘That’s a fine example, isn’t it? It’s precisely because of that that he was beaten. Now we know it must have been you who told.’

‘This is enough to drive a fellow mad!’ said Xue Pan. ‘It’s not so much the lies you keep telling about me. What really gets my goat is the almighty fuss you make about this fellow Bao-yu.’

‘Almighty fuss?’ said Bao-chai. ‘You’ve just been waving a door-bar at us, and you say that we have been making a fuss?’

Xue Pan could see that Bao-chai had reason on her side and that she was much harder to argue with than his mother. He was therefore eager to find something that would stop her mouth, so that he could say what he wanted to without contradiction. This, coupled with the fact that he was by now far too angry to weigh the seriousness of what he was saying, was responsible for the unpardonable innuendo that followed.

‘All right, sis,’ he said, ‘you don’t need to quarrel with me. I know what your trouble is. Mamma told me long ago that Mr Right would be someone with a jade to match your locket, so naturally, now you’ve seen that blasted thing that Bao-yu wears round his neck, you do all you can to stick up for him.’

Anger at first made Bao-chai speechless; then, clinging to Aunt Xue, she burst into tears.

‘Mamma, listen to what Pan is saying to me!’

Realizing, when he saw his sister’s tears, that he had gone too far, Xue Pan retired sulkily to his own room and went to bed. Bao-chai was left bursting with injury and outrage which she dared not express for fear of further upsetting her mother. She was obliged to bid the latter a tearful goodnight and go back to her own room in the Garden, where she spent the rest of the night weeping.

She was up early next morning. Too dispirited to make a proper toilet, she stopped only to tidy herself a little before setting off for her mother’s. On the way she met, of all people, Dai-yu, standing on her own beneath a flowering tree.

‘Where are you going?’ said Dai-yu.

‘To my mother’s.’ She answered without stopping.

Dai-yu noticed how dispirited she looked and saw that her eyes were swollen as if she had been weeping.

‘Don’t make yourself ill, coz,’ she called out, almost gleefully, to the retreating back. ‘Even a cistern-full of tears won’t heal the smart of a beating!’

The nature of Bao-chai’s reply will be revealed in the following chapter.